Logan's Heart
by Beautiful Storm Munroe
Summary: Just a rewrite of Logan the movie. When the Wolverine gets tasked to take someone across the border, he finds himself with a bit more than he bargained. After a government agency barged into his makeshift home that he shared with Storm and the Professor, the trio find themselves with a young mutant that the agency is after. With time running out, and Logan getting sicker by the day
1. Fallen Wolverine

Storm was at the counter of the kitchen in the small warehouse she called "home", chopping up the lettuce she was going to use for a fresh salad. They didn't have much, and usually all the food they had was grown in her small garden. Looking at the clock, she walked toward the cabinet and grabbed a small pill bottle, pouring out the last two they had. "I hope he's on his way back," she muttered, throwing the bottle in the trash can as she walked toward the door. She stopped suddenly when Logan walked through the door. "He's having a rough day," she said quietly as he took off his jacket.

"They're all rough days," Logan said curtly, placing a white bag on the table.

Storm watched him for a moment, then opened the bag, a bit relieved to see the pill bottles. "Is this going to last us?"

"Working on it," he answered again, just as curtly. Storm didn't need to be a telepath to realize he'd had a rough run, ever since they had been forced to live in the desert; not that she minded. She grew up in Africa, but for Logan and the professor, she knew they were miserable. She took the pills out of her pocket and placed them in his hand as well as the bag. "You give it to him; I'm cooking."

"Why don't I just take over the cooking, then?" Logan asked as she walked back to the kitchen. "He responds better to you."

"Why do you think that is?" Storm demanded, looking him in the eye. When he didn't respond, she turned back to the salad, not wanting to elaborate on all she did while he was on his runs. "Besides, we both agreed, I'd take care of him while you were away, and when you were here I'm on break."

Logan growled something under his breath, but turned to walk back toward the Professor "quarters". "You know, last night he told me he's communicating with someone."

"He's not talking to anyone, 'Ro," Logan replied simply.

"Don't be so sure," Storm countered smoothly, looking up and watching him as he grabbed something. "He has all these details… weren't you the one who told me that tank was supposed to act as a barrier of sorts?"

"Storm…" Logan growled his warning. Storm rolled her eyes, backing down for now as she watched him walk away.

"He's going to be asking questions!" She called after him. "Wouldn't surprise me if he tried reading your mind."

"That's what these are for," Logan called back, not bothering to look over his shoulder as the door shut behind him.

"Goddess, help me have patience with these men," Storm muttered under her breath as she walked toward the fridge and grabbed a beer for herself. She continued watching the door he had walked out of for a brief moment, touching her pocket for the item that would be the subject of tonight's dinner.

As she turned back to the counter to cook some chicken, she felt a wave knock into her head, freezing her in place for a brief second as she instinctively reached out to her powers. She had learned how to fight off the psychic waves ever since Charles's seizures started, however she had noticed that her defenses were becoming weaker as the seizures progressively got worse. She started to head for the door, hoping Logan was alright, when she felt the pressure fade away. Breathing a sigh of relief, she leaned against the post, knowing Logan had been able to stop it this time.

She debated whether or not to go check on them, then decided against it. Going back to the stove, she placed the cold chicken on a pan and watched it cook As she grabbed some seasoning and a lemon to put on Logan's plate.

He came in a moment later, placing the used plate on the sink. He then silently walked behind her and wrapped her in his embrace, nuzzling her neck for all of a moment. In that brief moment, she allowed the tensions of the day to be released and just faded into his embrace, but then he let go and walked into the bedroom they shared.

The wind rider sighed as she focused on the cooking, making sure to add extra lemon and ginger into his food. She knew he didn't like it, but she also knew something was seriously wrong. It started with his healing factor, and then his libido. It used to be that he would go hours making love to her, and now it seems like he barely had the energy for a quickie. Although, that could also be the alcohol fueling his tiredness.

Storm wiped her eyes as tears started to flood them. She knew she was losing him, both mentally and physically; just like she has nearly lost the Professor. The smell of smoke brought her out of her thoughts as she looked to see the chicken smoking. "Damn it," she muttered under her breath, using a wind to carry away the smoke. Thankfully it was still edible, she would just have to add more flavoring to mask the taste a bit… something she was not entirely good at, but she would make do.

Storm had just finished placing dinner on the table when Logan came out. She could see that he was still in a mood, so she offered him a small smile as she placed his plate in front of him with a bottle of beer. "Burned the chicken again?" he asked after taking his first bite, his nose scrunching up a bit.

"How can you tell?" Storm asked sarcastically, sitting down right next to him, carefully cutting up the chicken.

"Over seasoned again," Logan responded calmly. She could feel his eyes on her, and she decided to ignore it for now. "Something bothering you today?"

"Do you have time for the list?" She asked, a small smile crossing her lips as she looked over at him.

"I think I can spare a minute," he replied, still eating.

"Well, there's the fact the dose is too low," she began. "Even if we up the dose manually, who knows how long it will last us."

"It's what the guy gave me," he replied, catching her eye. "I wasn't in a position to make demands."

"Logan," Storm said softly. "My defenses against his psychic waves aren't what they used to be… and we both know you're barely managing yourself when they hit—"

"It was barely a minute, Storm," Logan said gruffly, looking away from her. She knew he wanted this conversation to end, but she wasn't going to let him off that easy.

"What if next time it's longer?" Storm pressed. "We both know I can't control my powers under duress, and that tank is far from being an insulator should a lightning bolt strike." Logan still wouldn't look at her and she exhaled in frustration. "I also know you've got more money hidden away…"

"That money is going to get us out of this place," Logan interjected defensively.

"And where do you plan on taking us?" Storm demanded. "On a boat in the Pacific? I've seen the boats you were looking at, how long do you think it will be before I have a panic attack because I can barely move."

"I thought you were past it?"

"You know it sneaks up on me when I least expect it," Storm glowered, using all of her control not to lash out at him. "But do you honestly see us being happy with me always either below deck playing house wife or in the sky whenever I feel uneasy?"

Again, there was no response, so she decided to change the topic, praying he wouldn't get too upset. "And then there's this…" She reached into her pocket to pull out the bullet and place it on the table next to him. "Found it in your pocket when I was doing laundry." He snatched the bullet off the table and put it in his pocket. "Ever planned on telling me about it?"

"No," Logan answered gruffly, his jaw clenching a bit as he took another bite out of his meal. "I don't need this, 'Roro, especially not coming from you."

Storm sighed and placed her hand on his. "Logan… I just want to help you." She placed her hand on his cheek, cupping it gently before making him turn to her. "But… I can't if you don't talk to me." Logan closes his eyes at her touch, his breathing speeding up ever so slightly as he struggled with whatever decision he wanted to make.

"I'll be back later," Logan said abruptly, getting up and walking out the door. Storm sighed exasperatedly.

"We're not done talking about this," she called after him, watching as the door slam shut.

Logan took another sip of his beer as he parked the limo out front. A gentle rain was patting against the roof; he started wondering if this was Storm letting go of her emotions, or if it was actual rain. He knew she knew that there was something wrong; the looks she gave him, her gentle caresses when they were asleep; the seasoning and herbs in their food that were supposed to "heal" him. He couldn't bring himself to tell her though; to tell her he was dying.

Once he was inside, he headed toward the bedroom, where Storm was asleep on her side of the bed. He could smell the salt in the air, knowing she had once again cried herself to sleep. Taking off his shirt and jacket, he slid in behind her, carefully wrapping his arm around the goddess's waist, and resting his head on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, 'Ro," he whispered in her ear. She shifted ever so slightly, but remained asleep. He gently stroked her cheek, watching her and listening to her soft breathing. After several minutes he finally drifted off to sleep.

 _ **A/N: So, I'm rarely on here anymore, but since I'm posting this on archive, might as well post on here as well. Just a small rewrite of Logan. I'm in a love/hate relationship with that movie right now. There were so many unanswered questions and some things that just didn't make any sense at all, so I'm hoping to clear that up. Definitely a Rolo/Loro thing going on here.**_


	2. Laura

When he woke up, Storm was gone, but there was a note with a pair of glasses… and a receipt. Putting the glasses on, he read the note, finally able to read the letters clearly after so long. **THIS RECEIPT IS TO ONLY BE USED FOR THE RIGHT PRESCRIPTION** , it read. Although it didn't say it, Logan knew there was an ominous tone to her letter. Smiling, he walked out of the kitchen where Storm was busy making breakfast. Coming up behind her, he placed a gentle kiss on her neck, making her gasp and moan as he turned her around to place a kiss on her lips.

"What's this for?" She asked, a small smile creeping on her lips.

"Just a thank you," Logan whispered, pulling away from her. In another time, he would've persuaded her to go to the bedroom with him, and take full advantage of her; however, he needed to make a run again, and they needed more money. "I'll be back later tonight."

"Do I need to wait up?" Storm called as he walked away.

"Only if you want to," Logan replied, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Storm's smile faded a bit. "We still need to talk about last night."

"We will, 'Ro," Logan assured her, placing a kiss on her forehead— although, inside he was dreading the conversation. "Later, though. Promise."

Storm sighed, pressing his hand against her cheek before looking up at him. "Don't be too late."

Storm awoke as she felt arms wrap around her waist and a warm breath against her neck. "Hey," She murmured, fighting off her grogginess. Logan Just grunted, raising his hand to stroke her arm. "What took you so long?"

"Ran into some trouble…" Logan replied as Storm shifted to face him. "And I got offered a sketchy job that could pay us well…"

"Are you going to take it?" she asked quietly, immersing herself into his caresses. They laid there in silence for a moment, Storm found herself listening carefully at his ragged breathing as he fought off a cough.

"Probably," Logan finally spoke, nuzzling her neck. "It'll be all we need to get out of this shithole, and we can go get a yacht somewhere— a nice spacious one— and live out on the ocean for awhile."

"You're not running out on me, are you?" she asked teasingly, caressing his jaw. She noticed how his muscles just seemed to melt away under her touch; as if all he needed was to lose himself to her.

"Nah, 'Ro," he yawned. "You'd fry me with one of your bolts if I tried runnin'."

She smiled half-heartedly as she continued to caress his jaw. She desperately wanted to talk about the adamantium bullet he had, but she felt like another day of waiting wouldn't hurt them. In a few moments, she heard his breathing deepen as he finally fell asleep. She sighed and joined him, her heart aching a bit as she pressed her lips to his forehead, words not reaching her lips despite rushing through her mind. Instead, she just remained in his embrace, sighing as she drifted off to a dreamless domain.

"I like those," the Professor said as Storm used a wind to open the door, to the tank. "They make you look younger."

Logan was looking at his phone and the looked at the Professor. "Charles, I've gotta go away for a few days. I've got a long ride with some good money; but, when I get back, we're gonna get out of here. We're gonna drive down to Yelulapa, we'll get ourselves a boat, and we're going to go live in the ocean."

"Will you be safe there?" Charles asked.

Logan was quiet for a brief moment, but then he nodded. "Yeah, we'll be safe."

"Look What Logan brought us, Charles," Storm called, announcing her presence as she carried in the tray for the professor's food.

Logan got up and began walking quickly by her. "Be back in a few days," he said, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek.

"Logan," she called after him.

"I know, 'Roro," he replied, not turning her way. "We've still need to talk."

"Be safe, my love," she murmured softly, knowing he would catch it with his sensitive hearing. She then turned to Charles, watching as he sprayed the plants with water. "They're growing quite nicely."

"I never understood what you saw in him," Charles replied nonchalantly. "Always thought you could have done better; perhaps marry a King."

"Fate had another plan in mind," she said softly, placing the food in front of him. "Now, eat so I can dominate you on the chess board."

"You never could defeat me, Ororo," Charles chuckled as he began eating. "I think the closest you ever got was the night before we met Logan."

Storm's smile faded as her mentor once again faded into the past. Reminiscing was not something she did often— especially after what happened in New York. After a moment she got up and placed the chess board on the table with the pieces. "Black or White?"

Storm was about to head back to the warehouse when she saw a limo pull up in the drive. Logan came out in a huff, something had upset him. "What happened, Logan?" She asked as he passed by her. "Did something go awry?"

"This whole job was just wrong, 'Ro," Logan responded opening the door to head inside.

Storm was about to go and follow him when she felt a disturbance in the air behind her. The wind rider turned to see the trunk to the limo opened… with a ball and a backpack inside. "Logan!" She screamed, heading to the objects. "Logan!"

"What?" Logan answered, running up behind her.

"Who do these belong to?" She asked, holding them up. Logan looked at them confused, stepping closer to the trunk. A cloud of dust caught Storm's attention and she saw a black SUV heading toward them. "Who's that?"

"I thought you could sense when something was coming?" Logan demanded, stepping out in front of her.

"Not when a car is that far out," Storm retorted. "I have to be focusing on the area nonstop to sense something coming."

"Get inside and keep Charles quiet," Logan ordered. The tone in his voice told Storm that things were about to get ugly, but she didn't want to leave him. Before she could open her mouth to protest, he looked at her again; there was a hint of pleading in his eye. "Go. Inside. Now."

Without another word, Storm raced toward the tank where they were keeping Charles. "Storm," he said happily. "Back so soon?"

"Charles," Storm replied, placing a hand on his. "We have some unexpected company. We need to stay quiet until we know they're gone."

A smile crossed Charles's lips. "She's here," he said softly, pushing his chair to the door. "She's here."

"Charles," Storm whispered, confused by his behavior. "Charles we can't go out there just yet."

"Don't worry, Storm," Charles assured her, leaning forward to open the door and roll himself out. "She's taken care of our guest."

"Who?" Storm asked, picking up the pace so she could keep track of Charles. "Charles!"

"Logan!" Charles called to her friend when he reached the end of the gate. "Logan! This is Laura. Storm!" Storm stopped just behind him and turned to see a young girl with brown hair and a scowl that she would have almost thought matched Logan's. "This is who I've been telling you about; this is Laura. We've been waiting for you." Storm watched as the young girl began walking toward the Professor, then went and snatched her things from Logan. Storm could almost chuckle in amusement from the sight; hardly anyone had the courage to go and snatch things from the Wolverine. "Come," The professor continued calling to Laura until she followed him inside. "It's safe here Laura, you can stay."

Storm walked over to Logan when they were out of earshot, and Wolverine kick a handsome man in his back. There was a pipe lying next to his head, Storm assumed either Logan or Laura used to strike him with. "Bounty hunter?" Storm asked, looking toward him.

"Worse," Logan replies, showing her his card.

"Is he alone?"

"Yeah, but not for long," Logan answered, stating off in the distance. "Can you dump his ride and the body?"

"I'm not going out there to be ambushed if that's what you're asking me," Storm answered, waving her hands to lift the body into the air and place him inside the ride. "How far is the nearest neighbor?"

"Few miles," Logan answered, watching her. "Why?"

"There's a chance for high winds in the next few minutes," Storm answered back cryptically after buckling the trespasser into the driver side of the car. Taking a deep breath as her eyes clouded over, she called upon the winds to swirl around the car and carry it away from the vicinity. When they saw a small object flying toward the highway, Storm caught it again- grunting as she strained a bit- only to have it fall from a few feet in the air, so as to keep the damage minimal. "Wanted to make it look like an accident, right?" She said simply, walking past him and back inside the warehouse. Logan wasn't far behind her.

Laura was sitting at the table eating cereal, and the Professor was seemingly talking to her in Spanish again. Logan immediately went to grab her backpack; which did not sit well with Laura. She tried to snatch it back. "You'll get it back when I figure out what your mother has gotten us into," Logan growled.

"Logan!" The Professor called repeatedly to him until he finally let go. Storm stood by the table, deciding to let Charles and Logan work out whatever it was as they walked a few feet aways. Laura eyed her suspiciously, keeping a close eye on her backpack as Storm slowly sat down next to her. "Logan, that woman you met wasn't her mother."

"So she talks?" Logan demanded.

"We're communicating," Charles answered, causing Storm to look up as Laura glared at the two.

"Communicating," Logan growled, grabbing the pill bottles. "Take these now," he ordered. Charles took them without argument. "Listen, we've got to get out of here; it's not safe here anymore, and you can't have an attack out there, you understand?"

"Yes," Charles nodded as he swallowed the pills. "But this is the mutant I told you about. She needs our help."

"She's not a mutant, Charles," Logan growled as he turned away from the Professor.

"Yes she is," Charles countered firmly.

"What's her gift Charles?" Logan asked, his exasperation growing. "Eating? Pipe throwing?" Storm looked over at Laura, confirming her suspicion that the child had been the one to throw the pipe and knock out whoever it was that had intruded.

"Logan—" Charles began, only to be cut off as the warehouse shook. Laura stood up, on her guard as if she was ready to attack.

"It's okay," Storm whispered, placing her hand on the child's forearm. Laura immediately pulled away from her as Charles turned toward her and explained that it was only a train. The child quietly sat down, still glaring at Logan suspiciously as she patted her backpack.

Charles then pointed to Ororo. "This is Storm," he said before translating it to Spanish. "She's a mutant as well. She can control the weather." Laura looked at her, then resumed eating her cereal. Storm took the opportunity to walk over to Logan.

"What do you want to do?" She asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm thinking," Logan sighed, glancing over his shoulder. "We need to get Charles out of here now…"

"And the girl?"

"She's the reason why we've been discovered in the first place," Logan growled. "I don't have a problem with leaving her here."

"And having her fend for herself?" Storm asked incredulously. "No, Logan."

"What else would you have me do, 'Ro? I'm trying to keep us safe."

"So you are afraid of losing me?"

Logan's eyes widened as she changed the subject, and growled a bit, not responding to her question.

"I'm not leaving a child here to die, Logan," she said firmly, turning away from him as she walked back to Laura. Logan grabbed her shoulder to stop her from walking.

"Is your phone charged?"

"Yes."

"Then I'll take Charles and drive off and text you where I am," Logan suggested, grabbing something and the keys. "How long can you stay in the air?"

"A few hours," Storm answered.

"Then meet us there," Logan said as he walked back out to the car.

Not even a moment later, he rushed back in, and Laura stood up, this time she seemed more tense. Storm turned to the monitor and saw the cars coming toward them. Charles was once again trying to soothe Laura when Logan cut him off. "It's not a choo-Choo."

He looked at the monitor, then headed back to Charles, grabbing the wheel chair. "We've got to go."

"What?" Charles exclaimed. Logan looked at Storm and she nodded, glancing at Laura. "What's going on?"

"Stay here," Logan ordered Laura, stealing a glance at Storm.

"Don't worry," Charles called. "He will be back for you."

Storm glanced at the monitors to watch Logan and the Professor. Laura glared at them as well, before turning back to her cereal. "Do you know these men, Laura?" she asked as men in armor surrounded Logan. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but she didn't need to. The look Laura gave her spoke volumes, and she hoped Logan could fight them off long enough to allow her time to escape.

"Come with me," Storm whispered as men headed toward the building. Laura looked at the monitors as Storm ducked behind a shelf, and stayed where she was. She didn't have a chance to call to Laura again before the doors opened and three men came in. Two with guns and one with an odd pair of cuffs. They all seemed focused on getting Laura, completely oblivious to the fact that she was there; she would use that as her advantage.

As the one with cuffs got closer, Laura just looked at him, her lip twisting into a snarl as two shiny claws came out of her knuckles. Storm was speechless for a moment, her eyes widening as she swiftly dispatched of the man with the cuff, cutting his head clean off.

The two men with guns fired at her; Storm lowered the temperature around the guns, freezing them over and making them useless as Laura launched herself at them, stabbing one in the chest. "Laura!" She called to the child as one of the men aimed his weapon. Laura quickly sliced his arm off as Storm felt something hot graze her skin. She gasped, grasping at her wound while Laura sheathed her claws. When she seemed satisfied that no one else was there, she grabbed the head and her backpack, walking out. Storm knew the look all too well in the child's eyes; she had seen it many times on Logan, the look of vengeance.

Laura motioned for her to follow, and Storm didn't hesitate to follow, unsurprised to see the large group of men with all guns pointed at them. Logan was on the ground, but shifted to see them come out.

"At a girl," the man that Storm had thought she had disposed of earlier said, watching as Laura stepped closer. Storm kept her stayed where she was, observing the area. One man held his hand in a holding position. "Hey, baby… and if it isn't the weather witch. Should've known you would be hiding out here as well."

Laura threw the head she had at the men. "Laura…" the leader sighed as she slowly started approaching them, like an animal stalking its prey. She then threw down the cuffs. "Honey, you want to stay where you are. You wanna see your friends, right?"

Someone started yelling something in Spanish, and Storm gathered her energy up to prepare an attack. "Command," The leader spoke calmly. "Stop."

"You said alive or dead," the commander said.

Laura shook off her backpack and started stepping closer to them. "Laura!" The leader continued, repeating her name with every step. She revealed her claws to him, and the leader took a hesitant step back, shaking his finger. "No… no." When she wouldn't stop, the leader jumped back. "Move! Go!"

Before Storm could make her move, Laura started her attack, hitting the closest one to her with her backpack before stabbing another in the leg and whirling around to slice the other; all the while screaming a battle cry. She then grabbed her backpack and ran off, dodging bullets as she climbed over the fence. "Stop shooting!" The leader bellowed. "She heals. Move, go."

Storm took that opportunity to freeze the guns that were in their hands, rendering them useless as they all charged into the building. Logan got to his feet as the leader glared at Storm. "You're going to regret that," he said, walking back to his car.

Storm took the opportunity to head toward Logan. "You alright?" He demanded, looking at her grazed arm. "You're hurt."

"Just a flesh wound," Storm said, turning as she heard Laura's cries of rage.

Suddenly, they turned and saw Laura come out, only to be grabbed by one of the gunmen; she tried to slice her captor, but he pinned her wrists. She then kicked out with her leg, catching his groin, and then sliced his throat when a harpoon went through her chest; causing Storm to gasp in horror as the child cried in pain and was reeled back. Her eyes once again occluded over, and she was about to strike the leader when she felt someone grab her arm. Feeling the currents run through her arm and into her hand, she struck her captor with the electrical current, creating a wind barrier when she heard a gun shot to keep the bullets from the spare guns from striking her.

Logan raced to Laura's rescue, with Storm not far behind, going airborne as she kept her wind barrier up. She brought down lightning bolts to a small group that went to attack Logan, who was watching in awe as Laura struck her captors with a claw coming out of her shoe.

Sensing movement toward the limo, she saw a handful of soldiers run toward there. "Logan!" She cried, bring a lightning bolt down on the nearest soldier to Laura. She needed to stay in the air where she had the advantage of the sky, Logan could hold the ground control and protect Charles.

Laura seemed to be holding her own very well as she flipped through the air and struck the soldiers going in for her. The limo pulled up next to her, and Storm made a swift landing at the passenger door while Laura launched herself at the top of the hood. Storm slid in just before Logan hit the gas while Laura climbed in through the sunroof.

"Laura," Charles gasped. "Are you all right?"

Logan hit the gas, dodging remnants of poles and other metallic objects. When they were clear, Storm's eyes turned white as she kicked up a sandstorm around them. "You couldn't have done that sooner?" Logan growled as he aimed for the fence.

"Didn't want to blind Laura," Storm responded, gasping as they hit the fence.

"Fuck!" Logan cried, trying to go forward. "Come on..." When it proved to no avail, he put the car in reverse, taking part of the fence with them. Storm stopped the dust storm, but it wasn't going to happen in time.

"Right," She called, placing her hand on his wrist to help guide through the dust; it wasn't helping that they were creating a certain amount as well, but at least she could tell where objects were and weren't.

"Storm, down!" He ordered, just as motorcyclists passed by, one shooting her side as she ducked. Laura growled behind her as Logan spun the car around as the bullets hit the windshield. The fence they were dragging hit a wall and broke free from the grill as Logan aimed for another fence. The weather witch had lost her focus when Logan called out, and didn't bother creating another storm; lest they get caught again.

As they broke free, though, two motorcyclists were on their flank, making it impossible for her to kick up another storm without affecting Logan's visibility— not to mention they were running next to a train. One of the bikers jumped onto the trunk of the car while the broke the window in the back. The one who broke the window slid his arm in and tried to grab Laura when Storm shot his cybernetic arm with one of her lightning bolts; Laura then sliced it off for good measure, and stabbed the guy on the trunk in the eye.

All that was left now was the hummer that was trying to run them off the road. Logan glances at that and the train, then smashed into the hummer to use to bounce off the train and— miraculously— across the tracks. They stopped for a moment to look across and make sure no one was following them— also noticing they would have to be waiting awhile. "Sit back," Logan ordered, pushing Laura down as they sped off. Storm took this opportunity to once again create a dust storm until they had some distance.

"You," Logan growled, glaring at Laura through the mirror. "Who the hell are you?"

Laura didn't respond and just turned around in her seat. "Hey, I'm talking to you; now who are you?"

"Logan," Storm soothed, placing a hand on his shoulder, her eyes still milky white as they continued racing down the road. Logan held up his hand, indicating he didn't want her touching him at this point. Storm respected it for now, waiting for the answer from Laura or the Professor.

"You know who she is, Logan," Charles said calmly.

"No, I don't."

"Who does she remind you of?"

Storm knew the answer. The moment she saw the adamantium claws on Laura, she knew the two were somehow related. After several minutes, Storm broke contact with the weather, taking a deep shaky breath. "'Ro?" Logan asked, glancing at her worriedly.

"I'm fine," she said softly, relaxing against the seat as a headache started clawing at her brain. "Just… exhausted. It's been a long time since I've fought with my Powers."


	3. The lab

The group had stopped by a gas station to fill up the tank. Logan had given Laura some money to ride the plastic pony while they filled up. When he got back into the car, he picked up the red cell phone that Storm hadn't noticed before. "Where'd you get that?"

"Belonged to her guardian," Logan answered, going to the video collection. He pressed play and a Hispanic woman came on.

"My name is Gabriela Lopez," the woman began. "And for ten years I worked as a nurse for a company known as Transigen research in Mexico City. Transigen is owned by the American Company, Essex."

"What you are about to see here is illegal in Canada and the United States…" she began as the camera panned to a closet door that was cracked. A hand went to Storm's mouth as she saw several children walk in a uniformed line to what looked like detention rooms. The door closed and shifted to a picture of a box with Alkali on it… a word that Storm knew did not bring so many fond memories to anyone in the car. "They said we were part of a pharmaceutical project; but of course that was a lie.

"These children…" the scene shifted again to show Laura and several others. "We're born here and have never left. They have never seen the sun or the ocean; rain or snow— or any of God's creatures. They have no birth certificates; no names— besides the ones we have given them." The scenes flicked through several children, and then to a bloody room. "They were raised in the bellies of Mexican girls. Girls no one can find anymore. Their fathers semillas geneticas— special seeds in a bottle."

Everyone looked at Laura as a birthday song filled the car. She seemed like any normal child right then, just enjoying a ride on a fake horse. Everyone knew though, that she was far from normal, but for the moment, it was easy to forget. Storm looked back at the screen. A doctor had called someone name Maria. "We do not dress them up for Halloween. We do not call them baby, or kiss boo-boos. Don't think of them as children, think of them as things— with patents and copyrights. Comprendé?"

A low rumble of thunder sounded off in the distance as the nurse responded. Storm closed her eyes as she fought to rein in her emotions, trying to keep them in check. A hand touched her shoulder and she smiled at Charles as they continued watching the video. "They thought we were too poor and stupid to understand. We're poor yes; but, we're not stupid."

The scene switched to a training room where one was ordering a child to use their powers. The child struck out against the mannequin and then against the instructor. "This is business, they are making soldiers. Killers." The scene flashed to Laura receiving adamantium graphs; but the battery also happened to die at this point— much to the relief of Storm.

"I need some air," she said, opening the car door and closing it before anyone could say anything. She stepped to the side of the building, allowing the wind to caress her as she once again fought to remain in control of her emotions. _Damn the doctors who tortured the poor souls_ , she thought bitterly, looking up at the sky as the clouds darkened a bit. With a sigh, she reined in her hatred for the company and took long and slow breaths, feeling herself calm down a bit.

The car doors slamming caught her attention as Logan took out the wheelchair for the Professor and walked over to Laura who was ready to break open the coin box. After a few minutes the child got off and walked inside the convenient store. Storm followed her in a moment later, guessing Laura didn't have the money to pay for anything. Putting some distance between her and the child, she walked to the opposite side of the store. Keeping Laura in her peripheral vision as she grabbed a soda from the fridge.

The child had grabbed chips, candy and a pair of sunglasses when Storm looked her way again; but she also caught sight of the store manager… who had also noticed. Knowing trouble would be arising if Laura was spooked, Storm stepped closer to the duo.

"Hello," the manager said, crossing his arms at Laura. The child looked up at him tensely, as if she were debating whether or not he was an enemy. "Hi there. You know you have to pay for that right." Laura tried to bolt, but the manager caught her. "Hey! Where's your mommy and daddy."

"Laura," Storm called, stepping into the child's view. The manager turned to her.

"You know this child?"

Storm was about to respond when Laura bolted, only for the manager to catch her wrist. Big mistake. Laura used this chance to throw him over her shoulder, so he landed flat on his back. She then screamed, revealing her claws; the manager's eyes opened wide, probably watching as his life flashed in front of him.

The weather witch had only the chance to take a couple of steps before Logan came in and grabbed her wrist. "Not okay," he said firmly, before turning his attention to the downed manager, who was trembling in fear at the child as she was pulled away. "Sorry." he was about to walk out when something crosses his mind. "Uh, you sell phone chargers?"

The manager nodded, pointing in the direction. As he grabbed the charger and cigar, he saw Storm a few feet away from him. "Be right there," she said, pulling out a couple of twenties and placing them on the counter. "Keep the change," she said, grabbing a couple of candy bars as well. She then followed Logan out to the limo. "Come on, get in the car," he ordered Laura.

When she was in, Storm had caught up to them. "Did you really pay for that?" He asked, walking over to the driver's side.

"We have the money, Logan," Storm said as she opened the passenger side door. "We don't need to steal to survive."

"Tell that to her," Logan indicated Laura as he got in. "Why didn't you intervene before it got out of hand?"

"I was," Storm replied firmly. "But She spooked and lost it when the manager grabbed her wrist to keep her from running."

"Fair enough," Logan conceded, putting the car into drive and pulling out of the station.

After several hours, the limo pulled off at a cliff side to rest a bit. When the phone was fully charged, a light hit his eyelids with a musical sound. Logan coughed briefly, then turned to look at his passengers: Laura was in the back, sleeping next to Charles— who was passed out — at an angle beside her, also asleep; and Storm was in the passenger on her side, still as the night gaze lingered on her for a moment longer, fighting back a cough as he caressed her cheek for a moment, before turning his gaze back to the cell phone. Picking it up, h pressed play

"As the children got older, they became more difficult," Gabriela continued as the video focused on Laura. "They could not be controlled. The company had made their bodies into weapons. Tried to teach them to kill." The scene then changed to a child jumping off a building. "But they did not want to fight. A soldier who will not fight is useless." Logan took a deep breath, knowing the pain these children were going through. Weapon X had done the exact same thing to him; the only difference was that he had volunteered, not the other way around. "Inside this building, they are working on something new; something they think is better than the children. Something they say is without a soul."

"Would you like to hear my full lab report doctor Rice?" A nurse asked in the next shot after seeing several medical units and computers.

"You can't get Sushi in here," the man Logan assumes was Doctor Rice said. "It's the Mexican equivalent of Denver, Colorado."

"They must have been successful," Grabiela continued, the next scene showing nurses stuffing papers into folders. "About a week ago they told us to shut the program down." Children were then being dragged across the facility and roughly manhandled as they were brought into another room. "They began putting the children to sleep. We are going to save as many children as we can." Gabriela's face appeared again. "I read about a place up north. A place for mutants, they call it Eden." The next scene showed children being released from their rooms, one turning around and shooting flames at some guards to protect his friends. Grabriela appeared again, with a young Laura asleep in the background. "If you are watching this, it means that I am dead. I am not sure if any of the other children survived, we were separated. There is no more money… that was a lie. She is not my child, but I love her; you may not love her, but she is your child. Please, I beg of you, take her to safety."

As the video cut out, Logan stared at it for a moment; the seat creaking next to him alerting him that Storm had woken up. "How long have you been awake?" He asked, not looking up.

"Since the first scream," Storm replied, brushing his arm with her fingertips. "Can't sleep?"

"Nope," he said, reversing the limo out of its spot before putting it back into drive. After a moment he sighed and took her hand into his, his finger brushing against her diamond band. Something was off about her, but he prayed she wouldn't bring up the adamantium bucket that he still had in his pocket. "What's on your mind?"

"New York," Storm sighed, lglancing at him. "The anniversary is nearly upon us…"

Logan grunted. They didn't talk about New York much; they both wanted to forget what had happened, but at the same time, he knew Storm still held some guilt over the events that had transpired.

Out of his peripheral vision, he noticed Storm looking over her shoulder to glance at Laura. "She's so peaceful… you wouldn't think that her entire life was a nightmare." She looked back at Logan when he didn't respond. "Any idea where our next stop will be?"

"Not," he said with a sigh. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact I have a kid right now." _A kid that's not ours_ , he added silently. _And that I will never see grow up._

"I think we all are," Storm agreed, continuing her gentle caresses. They sat there in silence for several minutes. She had a certain look of anguish in her eyes… an anguish that seemed to be overshadowed by the slightes hint of hope. A cough erupted from his chest, as he let go of her hand to instinctively cover his mouth, distracting them for a moment. When he was finished, he felt Storm's hand on his shoulder; her fingertips squeezing it ever so slightly. "Do you have a plan?"

"Get the kid to safety," Logan replied., stealing a glance at her. She looked determined to talk to him more, but he could also detect the tiredness from her body language. He knew he couldn't keep avoiding the painful topics forever, but the more chance he had to just be with Storm, the better for him. "We'll be in the city in a few hours, try and get some sleep."

She gave him a hard look, but, then nodded tiredly, resting her hand against his, before drifting back into her own dreams.

 _ **A/N:**_ _ **So… I came across some interesting news about the movie. Apparently it's hinted that Logan was married in a deleted scene. Not specified to who, but it's implied it's Jean since that's the only X-woman Logan has killed in the entire movie franchise. Personally, I would think it'd be Storm… and only if they used a certain someone that will be arriving soon…**_


	4. Tense reunion

The group had stopped by a gas station to fill up the tank. Logan had given Laura some money to ride the plastic pony while they filled up. When he got back She awoke a few hours later as she heard Charles speaking. "Is this where we're hiding out?"

"We're not hiding out," Logan said firmly. "We're going to catch a few hours of sleep, get some new clothes; find a new ride, and get out of here."

Storm looked over at Laura. "Hiding out," she mouthed. When she glanced back at Logan, he was shooting a glare at her; she just smiled and relaxed against the chair. After pulling up front and paying the vallet, Logan grabbed Charles and they walked through the hotel lobby.

"Do you think we'll be safe here?" Storm asked as she looked around. Nobody seemed to take notice of the mutants, thankfully, but they could only guess how long that would last.

"We will for the night," Logan assured her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder as they approached the elevator. It was then that they noticed Laura wasn't with them.

"Hey, Laura," Logan called. Storm turned to see the young girl standing in front of a clothing store. "Let's go."

"We need clothes," Xavier pointed out. Logan sighed, but gave in a moment later. Storm walked with Laura to the children's section first. Finding a few things she liked, the Windrider took her to the dressing room to try on. The child seemed happy about her choices as Storm nodded her approval. After collecting the clothes from the dressing room, Laura froze, a low growl coming from her throat.

"Laura…?" Storm asked, placing a light hand on the child's shoulder. When the child didn't respond, she followed her gaze to a large blond man. The weather goddess froze as he caught her eye and gave her a twisted smile. She took a moment to assess the situation, knowing it would be impossible for her to use her powers against the feral mutant in a place as crowded as this one.

"Thought I smelled ozone," Sabretooth commented as he walked toward the two females. Laura's growl deepened and she started to get in a defensive stance as Victor Creed stopped a couple of feet short of them. "You're cute, kid," he said in amusement.

"Ever hear of a shower, Creed," a gruff voice sounded behind Storm. A moment later, she felt Logan squeeze her shoulder as he came up next to them. "You smell like a pet cemetery."

"You smell like you're getting close to the cemetery," Victor sneered. Storm took that moment to step around Victor, accidentally brushing his jacket as she pushed Laura forward slightly. "Heard you became a Mexican citizen. Canada too cold for you?"

"Storm prefers the warmer climate," Logan countered, attempting to suppress a cough.

"Logan," Charles called. Storm and Laura walked over to him. "We should pay for our things."

"Be right there," Logan replied.

"Stay here," Storm told Laura firmly. "I'll be right back." Laura nodded ever so slightly, her focus seemed to be on Sabretooth for some reason. Storm quickly went back to the ladies department, finding a sundress, a jacket with a blouse top with pants and a skirt to match. "Thought you had gotten lost," Logan commented as she placed her purchases on the counter.

"You're not getting rid of me that easily," Storm replied evenly, sliding a gaze toward Creed. He was watching them, a snarl on his lips as he turned away. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Logan handing her a bag while squeezing her shoulder reassuringly.

"He won't try anything, 'Ro," he whispered as they continued walking toward the elevator. "We've made a truce."

"Do you honestly expect him to follow through on that?" Storm asked as they entered the elevator.

Logan pressed the floor they were going to then turned back to Storm. "Yes. This time I do."

Storm gave him a skeptical look, but the moment was briefly distracted when Laura tried to press all the buttons. "No!" Logan said irritably, pulling Laura away from the door. "Not a toy."

The door opened but Logan held up his hand to the gentlemen who were about to board the elevator. "Sorry," he said, loooking down at Charles. "Chair."

The gentlemen looked confused but proceeded to step back out. "Thank you," Logan said, pushing the button to close the door. Laura took this opportunity to try and push the button again, but Logan held her back. "No," he scolded, pointing to the wall behind Storm. "Just stand there."

Laura glared at Logan, forcing Storm to cover up a smile that crossed her lips in amusement. Her mind briefly drifted to a time when she had been able to have children… before it was all heartbreakingly taken from her.

"Logan," Charles said, handing Logan a hat from the bag. "This is yours."

"What?" Logan asked, caught a bit off guard. He quickly recovered, though. "I'm not wearing it now. In the room, we'll get changed in the room."

After the doors opened again, the group walk down the hall to their room to get settled. The Professor had the main room with Laura, who took her place protectively at the foot of the bed; while Logan and Storm took the adjoining room. After assisting the Professor, Logan went into his room while Storm decided to freshen up in the bathroom before settling down for the night. She also took the opportunity to look through the wallet she had stealthily taken from Creed earlier.

Besides some short change, there really wasn't much on Sabretooth… that is until she found his Transigen ID. Storm sighed and slid the wallet back into her jacket and she changed out of her rags and into the gown she had bought earlier. That explained why Laura had grown apprehensive at the sight of him, but why was he here at the hotel?

"'Ro?" Storm heard Logan call from the other side of the door. "Ya alright?"

"Fine," Storm replied, walking to the door and opening it to see Logan leaning against the door frame. "Why?"

Logan didn't say anything, only pressed his lips to hers, his arms sneaking around her waist as he pulled her close. The kiss originally caught Storm by surprise; but her gasp quickly turned into a moan as she returned the kiss, deepening it. Logan started to slide the strap of the dress off of her shoulder, and she quickly held up her hand as she broke the kiss. "You sure you're not too tired?" She asked gently in his ear.

Logan grunted as he nodded, a longing look in his eyes that Storm hadn't seen in awhile. She also began to notice the change to his eye color, a sign that the Wolverine was wanting to take over. They both knew was capable of when the "beast" took over— but, in their time together, the beast had come to see Storm as his mate.

As their eyes met, Storm's hand went up to cup his cheek before allowing him to guide her to the bed once more.

After about an hour, Logan climaxed inside of her. He continued to kiss Storm passionaely, sighing just before he settled down next to her naked body. "Been awhile…" he whispered, running his hand upon her breast.

She nodded slowly, her hands resting upon his arm. "Yes," she nodded, closing her eyes as he spooned her. "Too long," she began stroking his arm.

His eyes closed at her caressing, feeling the beast inside him begin to stir once more. It was easy to fight him off, though. What the spirit wanted, the flesh was too tired for. "Logan.…" he heard her ask softly. He grunted acknowledging her as he pressed himself tighter. "Are we doing the right thing by taking her to this Eden?"

Logan shifted a bit, adjusting himself so he could see her face a bit better. "Why do ya ask, 'Ro?" He asked softly, knowing where her thoughts had been. She was quiet for a moment, but that silence gave him all he needed to know. "You've been thinking about Kendall again, haven't you?"

The smell of salt came before he felt the tears on his fingertips. "She was our one chance, Logan…" Storm replied, her voice cracking. "and she was taken from us…"

Logan's heart ached as she began to sob quietly into his chest. Caressing her back, he began quietly shushing her. "It's not your fault what happened, 'Ro…" he murmured in her ear. "You have no blame in this." His hands went around her waist, brushing the scars he had left on her just the year before.

After several moments, he sighed and kissed her forehead. "Get some rest, darlin'," he whispered, nuzzling her hair. "We'll talk more soon…"


	5. Hotel scare

TStorm awoke to hearing Logan coughing in the bathroom. "Logan," Storm called, knocking on the door softly. The door opened a moment later to see Logan in his new clothes. He looked quite dashing in her opinion, but the look on his face told her that he was getting worse. "Oh, Logan…" she sighed, pressing her hand against his cheek.

"I'm fine, 'Ro," he said, pulling away from her. Storm shook her head, picking up her sundress and slipping it on. She heard papers rustling behind her as she did her best to finger comb her hair out. "Where did you find those?" She asked, coming to sit down beside him.

"Gabriela," he said, stopping when they reached Laura's file. He sighed and put down the file. "They were kept caged like animals… like me…"

Storm placed her hand on his shoulder. "You're not an animal, my love," she said firmly, her hand trailing down his arm to his knuckles. "You were a prisoner, but you broke free of them to become a hero. That is who you are." Logan sighed as she stopped to gently caress his knuckles. After a moment he pulled his hand free and picked up the Laura's bag. "Are you sure you should be looking through that?"

"Like you went through something of Victor's last night?" Logan asked, catching Storm off guard. Before she was able to ask her question, he answered. "Faint traces of his scent were on your fingers last night; I might be old, but I still have some of my senses."

Storm sighed and slid the wallet out of the jacket pocket that was on the floor. "He's working for them," she said, handing him the wallet. "I think that's why Laura was so apprehensive about him last night."

"He's not working for them now," Logan assured her as he took the wallet; putting it in his pocket before pulling out a bunch of comics… X-men comics.

Storm stiffened as he looked at the covers before glancing at the door. "Logan…" she uttered, hoping he wouldn't go off on the girl. He simply ignored her though and went to the door that joined the rooms together— briefly stopping to glance at the old movie that Charles had chosen. And here we go… she thought, leaning on the door behind him.

"You read these in your spare time?" He demanded, holding up the comics in front of Laura and Charles; Laura just scowled at him From the foot of the bed that she shared with Charles. "Oh yeah, Charles, we got ourselves an X-Men fan. You do know they're all bullshit, right?" He flipped open one of the comics to scan the page. "Maybe a quarter of it happened, but not like this." He closed the comic and bent a little closer to Laura. "In the real world people die; and no self promoting asshole in a fucking leotard can stop this…"

"Logan…" Charles said softly, trying to interject. Logan continued on with his rant, a little too worked up.

"…this is ice cream for bed wetters," Logan finished, tossing the comics at Laura who didn't even flinch.

"Logan," Charles tried again.

"Her nurse had been feeding her some grade-a bullshit—"

"I don't think Laura needs reminding of life's impermanence." Logan looked like he was about to say something, but Storm stepped forward and touched his shoulder. The grip she wasn't like her usual reassuring one; this one was firm, and the look she gave him told him to drop the subject.

"Didn't you say something about getting us a new ride?" Charles asked, interrupting the couple's silent stand off.

Logan pulled out the pill bottle and tossed it to Laura. "Two more pills in one hour," he ordered. "Give 'em to him."

Going back to their room he grabbed his key to the room. Storm watched him for a moment, wincing as she felt a sudden headache crawl into her brain. "Hey," Logan said, quickly stepping to Storm's side. "You alright?"

"Yeah," Storm said as she felt the pressure just as suddenly relieve itself. "Just a slight headache…"

"Maybe you should stay…" Logan said quietly. Storm firmly shook her head.

"I'm going with you whether you want me to or not," she said adamantly, walking to the door. "Laura can handle herself and keep Charles out of trouble. I need to make sure you don't start an argument with the car dealer."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a smirk on Laura's face. Logan muttered something under his breath, then opened the door for her. "You do realize that you're lucky I love you and respect your lightning abilities, right?"

"Is that why I usually win any argument?" Storm asked, a hint of teasing in her voice. Logan growled, but slid his arm possessively around her waist as they made their way to the elevator.

They rode in silence to the junkyard, Storm making sure to stay back as Logan nodded to a group of young men who were huddled around a car. Logan opened the back door to grab something; that was when Storm stumbled. It felt as if someone had just knocked her over the head, and then began squeezing the delicate nerves inside her brain. "'Ro!" Logan exclaimed, rushing toward her as she continued to fight through the pain. Once again, though, just as suddenly as it had began, it swiftly ended.

"Darlin'," Logan murmured in her ear, brushing back a strand of her white hair.

"I-I'm okay…" the wind rider stuttered, taking deep breaths. "Just…Just a bit stressed."

Logan wasn't buying it for a minute, but they didn't have time to waste arguing about Storm's health. He turned and tossed the young men the keys. "Knock yourselves out," he called, his arm once again wrapping around the small of her back as he pulled her close. Thankfully the car dealership was only a couple of blocks away. "You're scarin' me darlin'," Logan whispered as they entered the lot. "A lot like you did during your last trimester…"

"It's probably just the strain of using my powers," Storm said softly as they noticed a truck. "I haven't been in battle for over a year and a half until three days ago."

Logan looked at her grimly, then nodded, indicating the nice blue truck. The car owner came over to talk to them after Logan had inspected under the hood. Storm once again stood back and waited for them to stop speaking, a deep feeling of unease setting in that she hadn't felt in a long time. Logan's voice suddenly brought her out of her thoughts. "'Ro, let's go get you something to hydrate with," he said calmly. "Maybe it will help with your headaches."

Storm didn't say anything, only let him guide her across the street to the nearest bar. Settling down at the bar, Storm ordered a soda while Logan got bourbon. "You sure it's just stress?" Logan pressed, his hand wiping the side of her brow from the sweat.

"Could be the early stages of menopause," Storm replied, exhaling as she fought off a wave of nausea. "I'm not exactly in my prime anymore…"

"Well, well, well," a growl came from behind them. Storm stiffened while Logan glanced over his shoulder to see Sabretooth standing there. "If it isn't the runt and the thief."

"All you had to do was ask, Creed," Logan said, handing the feral mutant his wallet. "Storm didn't take any of the cash."

Creed growled lowly, stepping closer to Storm. "You're lucky the runt and I have a truce right now… otherwise this conversation would be very different."

"If you don't want a repeat of the train station," Storm warned, her eyes glowing white a bit as the static electricity gently crackled around her. "I suggest you take a step back."

Creed snorted, but obliged, winking at her. Storm nearly teetered in her seat when she saw it, Logan having to reach over to brace her. "Storm?"

"I need to go to the ladies room," Storm whispered, getting up from the chair and heading into the back. She had made it just before another headache set in, making her run to the nearest stall. After several dry heaves, Storm walked to the sink to wash her hands. She paused noticing her disheveled look. "How the mighty have fallen," she mumbled, noticing the bags under her eyes. The headache seemed to have subsided, but there was a faint buzzing in her ears… followed by a faint whisper that she couldn't make out. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she walked out to see Logan glaring at a page in one of the comics.

"Logan," she said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

He looked up to see Storm, then shook his head, closing the comics. "We've got to go," he growled, placing some money in the table before heading out to the car. Surprisingly, Creed was nowhere to be found, but that didn't ease Storm's worries anymore than him actually being here in the first place.

After grabbing the truck, Logan pulled out in front of the hotel. Storm once again was feeling unsteady on her feet as the pressure returned. "You should stay in the truck," Logan said, catching her arm as she tried to remain upright. Storm shook her head stubbornly, once again fighting off the pain and nausea that was threatening to overwhelm her.

"You have to be so damn strong willed," he muttered as he tossed some cash at the valet.

"Sir," the valet called. "Are the keys in? Sir?!"

"Logan…" Storm whispered lowly, looking off to his right. There were two men in all black, with earwigs in sight. A few more steps and two more wandered off to the right; the couple spun around, Logan instinctively wrapping his arm around Storm, and they saw one more casually sipping a drink. Logan kept his head turned, pressing Storm to his chest as they continued walking. Ororo… a dark sinister voice whispered in her mind. Her eyes widened as they stopped. "No," her voice hitched before crying out in pain. "Charles!"

"'Ro…" Logan murmured as they stopped walking; picking up on the stench of her fear as it spiked. "What's wrong?"

He barely had enough time to catch her when she called Charles's name; her knees buckling just before she grasped her head in pain. Before Logan could ask what was wrong, he felt an skull splitting pressure build up in his mind, partially paralyzing him. A car crashed in front of them —harrowingly missing the truck.

Storm was still in his arms as he was reminded of what was going on; usually Storm would be able to move after accessing her powers, but this time something was amiss. She wasn't frozen in place, just in a lot of pain as thunder rumbled, as if it wanted to aid its mistress. Summoning whatever strength he could, Logan forced Storm on her feet. "Charles," he grumbled, walking excruciatingly slow toward the elevator.

Being close to Storm seemed to alleviate some of the pressure from his head— probably due to some sort of electromagnetic field she was unintentionally creating— and allowed him to walk a bit faster, but Storm was suffering more than she should be. He decided to find out later why; once they got the kid and Chuck to safety.

"Come on," Logan growled, leaning on the lavatory buttons for support. When they finally opened Logan stumbled out, keeping Storm close to him as he popped his claws and stabbed them into the wall. That was when they looked up and saw a gunman at the doorway to their hotel room.

Lightning crackled around them, the glow in Storm's eyes intensifying as he pushed them closer, more pressure being relieved. He heard Storm cry out, then a lightning bolt jumped from her hand, to the gunman's head. Logan used his claws to stab him for good measure.

Hearing grunting, Logan noticed Laura trying to pull herself across the floor, desperately trying to reach Charles; where two gunmen were ready to raise the gun to blow his brains out— if only they had known to prepare for one of his seizures.

He stabbed one more gunman in the neck, dragging Storm with him as her whimpers crescendoed. Another stab, and another stumble, Logan was forced to drop Storm to her knees, as she continued fighting off whatever demon had entered her mind. There were just two more left. Two more and they would be safe…

Two steps, the gunmen were in his reach; and were dead in an instant. Turning a bit, he saw Laura reach out to give him the syringe with the medication he needed. Taking it, Logan used all his strength to sink the needle into the Professor's skin and push it down. An instant later, everyone collapsed, mostly corpses now, and the pressure in his hand was finally gone. He took a moment to catch his breath, hearing Laura cry out as she stabbed one of the gunmen, killing him instantly.

Laura then walked over to them, intertwining her fingers into Xavier's. Logan looked down to see a camera on one of the gunmans' vest. "Oh, shit," he growled, getting up as he pulled the camera free and looking out the window. He then turned to Laura. "We gotta get outta here."

Quickly grabbing what little they had, Logan piled it onto the chair. "Storm," Logan called, pushing Charles to the door. He turned to see Laura kneeling down beside her, trying to pick Storm up as she slung the goddess's arm around her shoulder. "Shit!" He growled, leaving the Professor to pick her up. "You push him!" He ordered Laura, bracing Storm's knees and shoulders as he lifted. He exhaled slowly as he detected her heartbeat, followed by an inaudible whimper. "Let's go!" He ordered, running to the elevator. Thirty seconds later they were in the lobby, the sounds of sirens grabbing their attention as Charles called out.

"I'm sorry," Charles repeated. "I'm- I'm so sorry…"

Logan looked down at Storm worriedly, pulling her closer to him. "Stay with us, darlin'," he whispered as they reached the truck. Laura stopped the wheelchair, opening the front door. "In the back!" He barked, placing the unconscious weather witch in the front. Laura scowled at him, but obliged as he went to place Xavier in the back, followed by the chair in the truck bed. They peeled out of the hotel area, just as the fire trucks and emergency responders arrived.

They all rode in a tense silence, with Xavier mumbling some sort of nonsense. It wasn't until they were about to reach the highway, that Storm started stirring. "'Ro," Logan whispered, stealing a glance as he laced his fingers between hers. "Come back to us, darlin'."

Storm moaned, her eyes fluttering open. "Logan…" she whispered after a moment.

"Hey, 'Ro," Logan whispered, squeezing her hand ever so gently. "Don't scare me like that."

"I'll try and arrange that," Storm said wryly.

Logan smelled the blood before Storm could say anything, letting go of her hand to find a napkin in his pocket. "Here," he said gently, stealing a glance at her. A large drop of blood slowly slid out of her nose, causing Storm to freeze initially. Both of them knew one thing: Storm would not last another attack if one were to arise. "Any idea what happened?" He whispered softly.

Storm quickly wiped the blood away from her nose, nodding slowly. "Farouk," was all she whispered.

Logan's gripped the steering wheel, fighting the urge to pop his claws. That was a name he had hoped to never hear again in his lifetime. Looking at Storm, he took her hand into his. "He's not going to get you, 'Ro," he said softly. "Not for as long as I have breath."

 _ **A/N:**_ _ **Kept debating about whether or not to leave Storm in the hotel and have her interact with Laura more or save it for later because that family that was killed in Logan is cut from my story. They really had no purpose there. Also, Shadow King is here! Hoping to do him some justice, because I'm sick of the movies ignoring his existence (as well as some of Storm's traits, like being a master thief and extremely claustrophobic).**_


	6. Family car ride

"Emergency personnel are still on scene at Harrah's casino hotel in Oklahoma city where at least 400 guests were stricken with temporary paralysis yesterday," the radio showed said as they continued down the highway. Storm was resting on the passenger side, her head leaning against Logan's shoulder; Laura was in the back seat with Charles, pressing the window button up and down." Many are noting a similarity to the Westchester incident just over a year ago year ago that left over 600 injured and took the lives of eight mutants. Including a newborn and several of the X-men—"

"Knock it off," Logan called to Laura, glancing down at Storm worriedly. She seemed a bit pale to him, and he tried to listen to her breathing and heartbeat to make sure it would remain steady and strong. "I said knock it off," Logan barked again, raising a hand to her neck so he could count the beats. She stirred a little bit, but still remained asleep.

"She's a child, Logan," Charles called from where he was. "In point of fact she's your—"

Logan silenced him with a glare. "Don't mention it in front of her," he said sharply, indicating Storm.

"As if she hasn't already realized it," Charles retorted. "Ororo isn't—"

"How long has it been since you took your meds?" Logan demanded, shifting him arm as gently as possible so as not to disturb Storm. He had a sneaking suspicion that she was awake, though, and just wanted to appear dozing. He looked at Charles who looked away, refusing to make eye contact. "Tell me, how long has it been?"

"I don't know!" Charles cried. After a moment, he responded a bit more calmly. "Two days…"

"You saw what happened in that casino— what it did to her— if that shit had gone on any longer, everyone in that casino would be…"

"I did what I had to do to save Laura," Charles interrupted indignantly.

"You didn't do anything," Logan corrected, his voice going up a few notes. "You just freaked out and had a fucking seizure." He felt the weight on his shoulder lift away, glancing to see Storm shifting to lean against the window. It didn't escape his notice that she was unusually quiet; not even reprimanding him for his language. Many assumptions went through his head, but he didn't bother voicing them. The grey clouds that started to slowly form were enough indicators about how she felt about this situation. He just prayed that she kept enough rein over her emotions to not let it rain on the road.

"I guess you prefer me pharmaceutically castrated," Charles punctured, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Rambling on like a lunatic; so much easier for you."

"Easier?" Logan scoffed. "Jesus, there is nothing easier about you, Charles, nothing." Out of his peripheral vision, he saw Laura reach out and touch Storm's arm. She turned at the touch and offered the child a warm smile, still not adding to the conversation.

"Yes," Charles replied sardonically. "Yes, please be like the rest of the world; blaming someone else for your boring shit."

"I know, Pop," Logan grumbled, stealing a glance at Storm. She was still acting as if she were in her own little world, and for all he knew, she was. Although, he did notice her hand had fallen behind the chair to take Laura's. "I'm such a disappointment."

"You honestly derive no sense of purpose from what we're doing?" Charles asked in bewilderment.

"Okay, Charles, what are we doing?" Logan demanded. "Hmm?"

"There is a young mutant in our car…"

"Yeah," Logan agreed, looking at Laura through the rear view mirror. "I see that."

"And where we're taking her there are others," Charles finished as Loan nodded curtly. "Does that mean nothing to you?"

"Uh, Yeah," Logan answered, shooting a glance at Charles. "It means nothing for me. Especially since nurse Gabriela made up all that Eden shit up using fucking comic books."

"What?" Storm whispered next to him. He could feel her eyes bore into his body as he reached for the pill bottle in the armrest, but he chose to ignore it for now; if he knew Storm, they were going to talk about this… and she may even bring up wanting to keep Laura.

"What are you talking about?" Charles demanded.u

Not wanting to bother Storm, Logan reached behind him to give Laura the bottle. "Give those to him, will you?" He asked her. Laura took the bottle and opened it. "Take out to pills and give them to him."

"Logan!" Charles protested. "Logan!"

Laura looked at him through the mirror, as if she were I sure of what to do. "Now," Logan ordered, noticing Storm flinch a bit. His concern for her grew as she hadn't flinched like that in a long time; he began to wonder if the headaches were coming back, now that he knew Farouk was coming back, there would be little to stop him from possessing Storm… or Logan for that matter.

Laura handed Charles the pills, and he took a drink of water to swallow them with. "I want to see," Logan ordered, glancing at the Professor. Charles stuck his tongue out like a small child, making sure to keep his mouth open wide. Logan nodded in satisfaction.

"Are you two done?" Storm asked quietly after a few minutes, her hand pressed against her temple. "You're making Laura seem like the adult."

She winced again, and Logan put hi hand back into the armrest for the pill bottle. "You want some of these?" Storm was about to respond when she gasped again, a low rumble of thunder filling the almost clear sky. "Maybe they'll keep him away."

"They're just pain killers, Logan," Storm responded, although she still took the bottle, having a sip of her own water from the drink holder. "They won't keep him away for very long."

"Hopefully they'll keep him away long enough for you to gain your strength back," Logan put in, putting away the bottle before sliding his hand into her own.

"Stubborn mule," she muttered under her breath. It was meant as an insult, he knew, but there was a hint of amusement in her voice.

"She's talking about Amahl Farouk, Laura," Charles said softly. Storm stiffened when she heard his name, this time it was his turn to remain silent as he listened to Charles go on. "A very powerful telepath who was Storm's Master—"

"That's not how it went, Charles," Storm interrupted brusquely. "Achmed El Gibar was my Master. He gave me a final chance to escape when the Shadow King tried to take over his territory and wanted me as part of the deal. I escaped, and that's the end of it."

"Maybe so, Storm… but he did come back for you…"

"He came for Kendall, Charles," Storm said firmly, her voice dropping several notes. Logan kept an eye on the Sky, prepared to end the conversation if it gets to the point where Storm is overly agitated. "He failed in getting his hands on her, and we paid the price."

"Ororo…" Charles murmured softly, reaching out to touch her shoulder. She flinched, taking a deep breath as she struggled with some inner turmoil.

"I think she's had enough, Charles," Logan growled, noticing the sky get darker. The last thing they needed was a major accident because Storm couldn't control her temper; not that he didn't have faith she would, but it was better safe than sorry when it came to the weather goddess. Besides, it was his job to piss her off; nobody was going to steal that title from him. "Or do I need to remind you whose job it is to keep the asshole locked up in the astral plane?"

Storm gave him a stern look, but under it, he could see a hint of gratefulness as a ghost of smile appeared on her lips.

After about an hour or so, a large truck raced past them, disturbing Storm from her light slumber as Logan spoke. "Mother fucking auto trucks," he growled.

"Language, Logan!" Charles called from the back. "And you're screaming at a machine."

"Oh, What?" Logan asked as they continued driving. Storm looked behind him to see Laura watching the trailer that they were about to pass by intently. "She can gut a man with her feet, but she can't hear a few naughty words, huh?"

"She can learn to be better," Charles replied firmly.

"You mean better than me," Logan muttered. Storm sighed inwardly, reaching over to take his hand into hers. They'd both learn to overcome what had happened in the past, but Logan always seemed to be haunted by his demons, while Storm's demons came out whenever they seemed convenient.

"Actually, Yes," Charles confirmed.

"Charles," Storm admonished, shooting him a pointed look.

The Professor sighed, then continued. "And by the way, Laura's foot claws are obvious result of her gender."

"Is that so?" Logan asked sardonically.

Storm had the urge to cover up a smile that crossed her lips, glancing at Laura and following her gaze back towards the horses.

"In a pride of lions," Charles continued. "The female is both hunter and caregiver."

"Good to know."

"She uses her front claws for hunting and her back claws defensively, thus ensuring their survival."

Storm followed Laura's gaze to the trailer behind them. "Laura?" She called to the child. Logan quickly glanced at her but then kept his focus on the road.

"Hey! Hey! Hey!" Logan screamed as The truck next to them honked, and then proceeded to attempt to run them off. Laura gasped as she grabbed the seat she was in; Storm grabbed the handle bar above her shoulder as Logan instinctively swerved around the oncoming traffic they had been forced into. Once he was clear, he slammed on the breaks, the truck coming to an instant stop. The sound of neighing caught their attention, and the trailer that Laura had been looking at earlier had also been forced to the side of the road. The horses that had been tied in there breaking loose as they tried to escape whatever was chasing them.

"We should help them," Charles said, as a black and white horse bolted across the highway.

"No," Logan said shaking his head, glancing once again at Storm. "No, we should keep going. Someone will come."

"Someone has come," Charles insisted.

Tired of hearing them argue, Storm sighed, occluding her eyes. She summoned some winds to use as a wall barrier and gently urged the horses farthest from them forward, making sure to keep a sense of where trucks and cars were so that they wouldn't touch the beasts. She was vaguely aware of Logan moving the truck behind her back across the way.

One of the black horses was pacing nervously a few feet away, and she slowly approached it, making sure that it didn't shy away from her as she kept her body language neutral. When she was close enough, she used the winds to gently lift her up and place her on the horse's back. "Steady," She soothed, using her winds to guide the other horses, who seemed to be more willing to head back to the trailer— no doubt thanks to Charles. Without reins to help guide the horse, she used her legs to urge the horse forward, mentally keeping track of where everything was. Two of the owners were handling the horses closer to the trailer while Storm rode the black one forward.

After halting it beside the three others, Logan helped Storm dismount, cutting her connection to the winds as he steadied her. "Are you alright?" He murmured, placing his arm around her as she took a deep breath.

"Yeah," she breathed, leaning against him so that she ha the chance . "Remind me to start training again when all of this is over." Logan looked over at the family, pulling away from her as he stepped forward.

"Need a hand?" He asked.

After assisting in moving the truck forward, Logan looked to see Storm standing behind Laura. "Laura!" He called.

Storm squeezed the kid's shoulder and walked toward him. The young woman who owned the horses then stepped toward the couple. "Thank you so much for your help," she said, holding out her hand. "I'm Kathryn."

"James," Logan replied shaking her hand.

The woman then indicated the teenage son. "This is my son, Nate."

"Hey," the boy said.

"Is that your daughter?" Kathryn asked, indicating Laura.

Logan squeezed Storm's shoulder as he sensed Storm's weight shift a bit, but he continued the conversation smoothly. "Yeah, that's Laura," he then motioned to Storm, who shook Kathryn's hand. "This is my wife… 'Ro; and that's my dad, Chuck."

"Well," Kathryn said, smiling warmly. "Can we treat your four to a descent meal? We don't live far from here."

"No, thanks," Logan said immediately.

"That would be lovely," Charles called from the truck.

"Actually," Storm stepped in. "We're trying to make a flight. Some friends we haven't seen in awhile are waiting for us."

"Good luck on your trip, then," Kathryn smiled.

Storm smiled and wrapped her arm around Laura's shoulder and guided her back to the truck. "But, Logan…" Charles whined. "I haven't had a descent meal in days."

"Storm made the call," Logan countered, settling down in the driver side.

"If the Shadow King is on the loose, Charles," Storm said firmly. "No one is safe around us."

"Are you suggesting a camping trip, 'Ro?" Logan asked, keeping his eyes on the road.

"There should be a hardware store nearby where we can pick up some of the essentials," Storm said, smiling softly. "It's been awhile since we've had a chance to be out in nature."

"I think you're forgetting about a wheelchair, Storm," Charles said next to him.

Storm released a throaty chuckle as she leaned back in her chair. "Hopefully I won't have to use my powers for the next few days."


	7. Camp out

It was past twilight when the small family finally sat down around the campfire for dinner. After pitching the two tents, Logan had insisted that she stay at the camp and rest. Storm tried to argue with him that she was fine, but he wouldn't have it. He convinced her that Charles needed someone to stay with him because Laura would be hunting with Logan to get the food.

After eating, Logan and Storm sat by the fire and watched as Laura settled down by the Professor to rest. "What are you thinking about?" Logan asked, stroking Storm's silver hair as she leaned against him. For the first time in awhile, he actually took the time to appreciate her closeness; the way her scent wreathed around him as he continued to stroke the silver softness that he swore were equivalent to clouds.

"Everything," Storm whispered. Her voice was low, and he could tell she was fighting the crack that threatened to show him how she really felt. Her body trembled a bit as she took a shaky breath, Logan felt the need to pull her in closer. "Laura…. Eden…" her voice once again trailed off, as if she were scared to say the next name.

Logan didn't need to hear it to know that she was once again thinking of their lost child. It suddenly dawned on him that tomorrow would be the anniversary of the West Chester incident… and Kendall's birthday. He pulled her tighter to him, silently holding her as she fought to keep a stable control over her emotions.

Laura shifted and looked up toward the fire as Storm and Logan huddled together over the fire. She tilted her head in question as she saw Logan continuing to embrace the strange mutant that could control the weather. "She's remembering her child," Charles said softly next to her. He turned his head a bit toward their direction, then lowered his voice a bit more. "Do you wish to know what happened?"

Laura nodded, sitting down to listen to him intently. "A very powerful mutant wanted to take control over their child," he began, speaking in the softest of tones to make sure they weren't overheard by the one they called Logan. "To do that, though, the child needed to be born, and the Shadow King had tried to hide in Storm's mind until the big day. Unfortunately for him, she felt him enter, and it forced her into early labor. Logan was forced to cut the baby from her womb because Storm had begun losing control over her powers as she fight for her mind, and only Logan would be able to survive the lightning strikes that were taking place.

"Our doctor, Jean Grey, had been forced to hit Storm with a psi bolt, stunning her and allowing us to enter Storm's mind. We would never have been able to otherwise." The Professor bowed his head. "The child died in her arms several hours after we had chased off the Shadow King. The child had been terribly weakened from the ordeal… since then Storm has blamed herself for Kendall's death."

Laura looked back at the couple huddled. Logan was still embracing, and she noticed a tear break free from the eyelid of the black woman. Her heart was supposed to be of ice. She was supposed to be an emotionless soldier with nothing but rage… but she felt great sympathy for the white-haired mutant. Although she couldn't know what it was like to be held by her own mother, she knew what it was like to have everything taken away from her. She'd had nothing at birth. Only the basic care from the nurses. When she was old enough, all she was able to do was train and fight. No breaks, no one to form a close bond to. She envied the couple in a way.

"They're talking about raising you," Charles whispered in her mind. "More than likely, Storm will win; Logan has a high respect for her... but also an incredibly soft spot to the point that he will do anything to make her happy."

Logan twitched in his sleep as he the nightmares started coming back. Storm woke up, and moved a safe distance away from him. He was flat on his back, his arms flailing… too dangerous for her to try and caress him awake. "Logan…" she whispered, keeping her voice low so he didn't wake the others…

 _"You need to cut the baby out!" A voice Logan realized belonging to Jean ordered. He was back in the medical bay at the mansion. He could he Storm crying out as the labor pains rippled through her body. Jean then turned and grunted as Storm stopped crying out. A moment later she turned back to Logan as she wheeled the Professor a safe distance to Storm. "Logan!"_

 _Logan turned to her. "Why do I need to do it?"_

 _"The baby is in distress," Jean explained again, exasperation filling her voice. "And with Storm out, she can't push; You need to gently, but quickly perform a C-section on Storm while the Professor and I take care of the Shadow King." She turned to catch his gaze. "If you don't they both die."_

 _SNIKT! The claws came out. He didn't want to hurt Storm— or their child for that matter— but if there was no other choice, he would do it. As he pulled back Storm's gown and raised his claw, he hesitated. "Why can't Hank do it?" He called as Jean knelt beside the Professor._

 _"Because you're the only one who can survive the lightning if things go awry…" she said, pressing her head to the Professor's._

 _Logan snarled under his breath, but one look at Storm and his heart broke. "You'll be fine…" he promised, placing his claw at the very bottom of her stomach, using minimal pressure to slice her open. He took a deep breath and slid his hand inside of of her womb, feeling the babe's head. He slid his hands deeper until he could feel the shoulders… then slowly slid his hand out. "I got you," he whispered, gently pulling his child out as quickly as he could. When he turned to look at his child's face, though… it was covered in Shadow…._

Logan woke up, his arms flailing in the air. "Logan!" he heard her call his name. Looking at his hands, he saw that his claws had once again come out; he trembled slightly at the thought of hurting Storm; and that was when he felt her hand on his shoulder. "Logan…"

"Are you hurt?" Logan asked, cupping her face as he gazed into her blue eyes. She shook her head silently as he pressed his forehead to hers. Her scent filling his nostrils as he took several deep breaths; calming him as he came back to reality from the nightmare.

"What was it about this time?" Storm asked gently, as they laid back down in the sleeping bag, cupping his face she searched his eyes.

"Farouk…" Logan growled, looking away so that she couldn't read the emotions he knew his eyes would betray. He felt her body stiffen at the mention of the name, but then relax a moment later as he continued. "It was as if we were too late to rescue Kendall from his clutches after I cut her out of ya."

"Don't blame yourself, Logan," Storm once again whispered, pressing him closer into her. "We both know you did everything you could."

Logan sighed, his mind immersing himself in her scent as it calmed his frayed nerves. After several minutes, he glanced back up at Storm. "Do you really believe that Laura is our second chance?"

"What else can I believe?" Storm asked, stroking his jaw. "Especially since you said that Eden does not exist…"

Logan nodded, sighing a bit then pulled away from her. "Gonna take a leak," he said kissing her cheek. "We'll talk more when I get back… if you're not asleep."

Laura stirred as she sensed the footsteps coming toward her. The scent reminded her of Logan… but something was off. It wasn't quite… right. She kept her breathing deep and even, trying to make it seem like she was asleep. "Don't wake her yet," the Professor rasped in air mattress a few feet from her. "Let her sleep another hour."

The weight shifted from her to Charles, who kept speaking. "You know, Logan, this is without a doubt…the most perfect night I've had in a long time." His voice began to crack after a couple of heartbeats, and Laura could smell the mix of salt and water… she believed she herd Gabriela call them tears. "But I don't deserve… do I?" Another pause, making Laura more interested in what the Professor was saying. She couldn't understand why the Professor was speaking this way… he was no killer… nor a soldier. He was a teacher… a healer… what could he have possibly done that was so unspeakable? "I've remembered what happened in West Chester… this is not the first time I've hurt people. Until today… I didn't know. You wouldn't tell me… Ororo was lost in her grief… believing that she was responsible for something I did… so we just kept running away from it." Laura heard the shift in the mattress as the Professor continued. "I think I finally understand you. Logan—"

SNIKT! He never finished. Laura looked up just as Logan pulled his claws out from Charles… and she saw red.

Storm awoke from her light doze when she heard Laura screaming. "Laura!" She called, crawling out of her tent. The one that Logan had pitched for the Professor was like the venues you saw at the festival. Easy access to go in, but still protected from the elements. She saw the walls of the tent shift as something fell against them; Laura's continual battle screams echoing around. Storm's eyes clouded over as she stepped forward. Suddenly, Laura flew out of the tent, stunned; and Logan stepped out… but he looked slightly different from a few minutes before… her breath caught in her throat, though, when she noticed the flap open… and in the Faint light of the waning moon, she saw Charles's bleeding chest. The sky quickly darkened and clouded over as anger and grief began to overwhelm her. Something bowled her over, and as she was momentarily distracted, she heard a dark and sinister voice, laughing in her mind. _"Charles Xavier is dead… now I am truly free."_

"NO!"

After leaving Storm, Logan decided to take the scenic route back to the camp. He needed this time alone, just to think of everything. Although he and Storm by now had gone through the pros and cons of keeping Laura, he still wasn't sure he was ready to become a father… and he had yet to tell her that he was dying. Although, part of him knew that she knew. She just didn't want to voice it.

 _Don't you want to spend your last moments with your family…_ a nagging voice inside his head whispered. He growled as it continued. _You lost one child and have a chance to be a father for a short time… isn't that worth keeping the child?_

 _And if 'Ro is unable to handle it after I'm gone?_ He attempted to argue with himself. He wasn't fooling anyone though. Storm was a very resourceful woman; she had to be to become the best thief in Cairo. Another thought came to mind, though. _Does she deserve to be on the run for the rest of her life to protect a child that's not even hers?_

 _Does she really care at this point if the child is hers or not?_ The nagging voice pressed. _Charles Xavier is her father as much as yours— even if you wish to deny the latter._

Logan growled, which quickly turned into a cough that he didn't even bother to fight; knowing he wasn't going to win the argument. He was almost back to the camp when a breeze began swirling around him… followed by faint battle cries that belonged to Laura. As he began to pick up speed, a lightning bolt crashed into the heart of where the camp sight is… illuminating his path for the briefest of seconds as torrential rain poured upon him. The scent of blood hit his nostrils, even through the rain that he knew was Storm's doing, and he slid to a Stop a few yards away from his tent; he saw Storm being pinned down by Sabretooth as he whispered something in her ear…; Laura was continuously screaming several yards beyond on them as a figure… he looked exactly like him… paused and turned around.

Lightning crashed down upon Sabretooth; forcing the feral mutant to release a roar as Storm shoved him off with a strong wind; and that was when Logan noticed the still figure in the large tent. "Charles!" Logan cries, ignoring Laura's cries as she was taken away.

"Laura!" Storm screamed, trying to get to the younger mutant… only to be grabbed and thrown aside by Sabretooth. Thunder boomed through the sky, and Logan had faith that Storm could hold her own until he could get Charles to the truck.

Charles looked up at him in shock, and Logan saw the three claw marks on his chest. Thinking fast he grabbed ripped a piece of the blanket on the air mattress, and pressed it against the Professor's chest. "Hold this…" he whispered, noticing as Laura's screams grew fainter and fainter. "It wasn't me. It wasn't me."

Trying to not slip on the grass as the rain continued to come down, he placed the Professor in the back of the truck. "Hold this now," Logan whispered, clutching Charles's hand. "Hold it tight…"

He clutched Charles's shoulder as Thunder rolled through the heavens as the wind started billowing around the camp, the tents being lifted off the ground; he needed to go help Storm before she wore out her energy again. He was about to move when he heard Chuck's moan. "Our boat…"

"What?" Logan asked as another flash of lightning cut through the sky.

Charles looked up at him, a smile crossing his face. "The sun seeker…" Charles whispered as his final breath escaped his lungs.

Logan cradled the Prof's Head in his palm as the weather intensified around him, drowning out the cries of Laura. Suddenly, an explosion caught his attention, and his thoughts went to one thing. "Laura…"

Storm grunted as she felt Sabretooth pin her down, and although physically it was most certainly him, mentally, she knew what was going on. "Monster…" she hissed, allowing the rage she felt to override her grief.

"I would prefer Master," Farouk replied. "Because that is what I will be once I have you under my control!"

Her mouth was soon covered by the host's, and she struck his face with several volts of electricity. "Only if you can breach my defenses," She snarled as she rolled away from him when he released her. "We both know you won't be able to do that while the weather is doing my bidding."

"There are other ways to get to you," Farouk replied, a twisted smile crossing the lips of Sabretooth. "Like how I can easily influence the fools that call themselves scientists to release the little girl…"

Storm seemed to hesitate at the thought for a moment, but that moment was what he needed to once again bowl her over and pin her down. He grabbed her wrists, his claws breaking the skin as he tightened his grip; weakening the connection she had with the weather. "All you have to do is become my Shadow Queen… and I'll set the child free."

"Never…" she hissed, summoning a lightning bolt to hit right next to them. The concussive force stunned Sabretooth as they rolled, allowing Storm to escape his grasp. "You're the reason my child was lost to me in the first place."

"Charles!" She heard Logan cry as she watched him race to ward the tent.

Despite not being able to see her anymore, Storm could hear Laura's cries. "Laura!" She called out, summoning a wind to carry her to the child. Adrenaline was flowing through her veins as she flew toward the child; but she knew if she wasn't careful, she would crash and despite her will, her physical body would once again need to recuperate. She wasn't able to get very far when she felt claws grab her leg and throw her to the ground again.

"Why did you possess them?" Storm demanded as thunder rolled through the sky. She needed to buy some time so that she could strike Farouk's host with a lightning bolt that would hopefully disconnect the Shadow King. She was safe from the Shadow King's clutches while she's still connected to the tempest; but, the moment her body failed her, her mental defenses would be weakened even more than they already were from the year of dealing with Charles's seizures. When the Farouk didn't answer, lightning flashed through the sky, a warning of how much she had pent up over the last year. "Answer me, fiend! You owe me that much for killing my child!"

Farouk laughed. "We both know it wasn't I who killed little Kendall," he replied, charging at her. He knew what she was trying to do; her body wasn't ready for a fight on this scale, and to keep her moving would force her to split her concentration. What he wasn't prepared for, was Storm unleashing a lightning bolt made of pure anguish. He collapsed on the ground, the healing factor this host's body possessing not able to reverse the damage like he had those other times.

"You have no right to speak her name!" Another rumble of thunder, she was no longer even trying to suppress the emotions in a controlled fashion; she wanted to release everything she had on the monster. For what he had done to Jean… Charles… the dead X-Men… her only child.. "And you may not have killed her, but you're the reason she's dead!"

An explosion caught Storm by surprise, unintentionally allowing a bolt to strike close to her. She turned and heard Laura's screams, forgetting about Farouk for a moment as she raced to the aid of the child. Logan had already beaten her to the child's location, but he was momentarily distracted by whoever he was fighting. Storm took a moment to cover the place in a fog as she took out a Bobby pin from her hair. "Hold still," she whispered as the child struggled against the restraints. She inserted the pin into the lock, trying to get the child's hands free first. Laura kept crying out shaking the restraints. "Laura…" she whispered, placing the back of her hand on the child's cheek. "You need to calm down."

The child breathed heavily for a moment, as Storm continued to fiddle with the lock that held the child's limbs. Fatigue began to set into Storm's limbs, as she struggled with the lock; she heard a click, when she sensed movement behind her.

Covering the child, she winced as claws grazed her back. Looking up, she saw Sabretooth growling at her, preparing for another attack. Knowing she couldn't take hold the weather much longer, she summoned a small twister to carry the monster and the parasite away. When she was sure they were gone, she disconnected from the weather, collapsing next to Laura, fighting to stay conscious. "Storm!" She heard Logan call.

"Here!" She called back weakly.

"Can you walk?" He asked, picking up Laura who was struggling against the loosened restraints.

"Yes," Storm said, struggling to her feet as Logan jogged toward the truck. Summoning a wind, she used it to lift her about half a foot and rode the winds after Logan, her knees buckling as she reached the door to the truck. He had cut Laura free of the wrist restraints and she was freeing her ankles as Storm slammed the passenger door shut, breathing heavily as Logan kicked the truck into gear.

Laura began screaming uncontrollably, and Storm weakly turned to see what had set the child off… only to look away as her heart broke. She was far too exhausted, though, to do anything except shed the tears of grief. "It wasn't me…" Logan whispered.

"I know…" Storm replied, tears still crawling down her face as she leaned back against the seat to try and rein in the weather. Unconsciousness soon overcame her and at the edges of the darkness, she heard the faint voice of Farouk. _"I'll find you, Ororo… much sooner than you think…"_


	8. Arrival

Storm gasped as she awoke, looking around to see the truck was empty. Sitting up, she noticed some movement in the woods, gingerly opening the door. She saw Logan finishing up with the grave he had dug for Charles. Storm's heart filled with sorrow as she was reminded that the Professor had been taken from them…

Storm looked up as a gentle rain began to fall. As much as she wanted to let out her emotions, it would be a dead giveaway to their location. Taking in a deep breath, she pulled back the weather.

Laura walked right next to her, pulling out the earbuds to the MP3 player that Storm had bought her at the nearest Walmart before they had hit the woods. "Well," Logan began, looking down at the grave. "There's water… and…" Laura took a step closer, taking his wrist into her hand. "It's got water…" Logan's voice broke.

Storm was torn between staying where she was and rushing to his side and soothing him, but the look on his face told her he needed to deal with this alone. Snatching his arm away, he stormed toward the truck and got inside. Laura followed him out of the tree line; but Storm stayed behind for a moment. Taking a deep breath, she focused her energies into her hand, and carved out a disfigured lightning bolt to use as a grave marker.

The distant sound of metal upon metal interrupted her thoughts, and she turned to follow them out of the tree line. She saw Laura watching as Logan attacked the truck with the shovel, yelling expletives. "Logan…" she whispered.

Suddenly, he collapsed. "Logan!" Storm cried, rushing to his side, followed closely by Laura. She pressed a few fingers to his throat, trying to feel a pulse. It was weak. "Damn it, Logan."

Laura tugged at her sleeve and pointed in a direction. Deciding not to argue— especially with their current ride out of commission— Storm used a wind to lift Logan a foot into the air, and pulled him along as she followed Laura. They soon reached a car with the trunk open and she placed Logan inside.

Laura slid into the driver's side as Storm summoned a thick fog to mask their presence. "I'm driving," Storm said firmly.

Laura slid over to the passenger seat, allowing Storm to take control. Putting the car into drive she turned the car around and continued down the road. "Find me the nearest town," she whispered to Laura, her eyes reverting back to normal, praying that they would get there in time.

The doctor had taken Logan straight away, leaving Storm and Laura in the waiting room. It was a bit small for Storm's liking, making her a bit anxious. Laura looked at her curiously as she stood up; causing the weather witch to put a reassuring hand on the child's shoulder. "I'll be right outside," Storm whispered, walking out of the office. Taking out her cell phone, she dialed the number of the safe house where some of the remaining X-Men were as she ducked down into a small alley where the doctor's office was still in her line of sight. "Jean Grey School Of higher learning," a southern accent answered. "How may ah direct your call?"

"Is that the cover nowadays, Rogue?" Storm asked, a bit of mirth filling her voice at recognizing girl's voice.

"My ears must be deceivin' me," Rogue answered. "Unless the winds are changin'."

"Are the others still there?" Storm asked, keeping an eye on the door in case a certain Wolverine decided to storm out.

"Hold on," Rogue answered. The weather goddess noticed that the her voice seemed to echo a bit, as if she were on speaker phone. "Y'all better get in here, lightnin' has struck!"

"Ororo?!" Another voice belonging to Kitty called.

"Hi, Kitten," Storm smiled, her heart overjoyed at hearing her favorite student's voice. "How's life with Jean in charge?"

"Phoenix be very demanding," the Cajun voice belonging to Remy LeBeau called. "It's nice ta hear your voice again, Stormy. When ya comin' over ta visit?"

"I'm not that bad," the final voice called. "Jubilee is out in the town, 'Ro, so she'll be sorry to have missed your long overdue phone call."

"Communication goes two ways, Jean," Storm laughed. "It's so good to hear your voices again."

"Gambit has a point, though," Kitty called. "When are you coming over to visit us?"

The smile faded from Storm's lips as she glanced back at the doctor's office. "Not for awhile it seems…" she answered her voice trailing off as she fought the emotions that began to overwhelm her. "Things aren't going well here."

"What happened to the Professor?" Rogue asked.

"He's…gone…" Storm murmured, taking a deep breath.

"What?!" A new voice called, Storm recognizing it as Jubilee. "What do you mean the Professor's gone?!"

Before Storm could reply, there was a soft click, before Jean's voice came back. "I'm guessing this isn't a social call," she said softly; Storm could only imagine that she had taken the phone off of speaker and waved off everyone from wherever they were.

"I thought you all had the right to know," Storm said softly, once again keeping an eye on the sky. Due to both her emotional state and exhaustion from the past several days, she had found herself more vulnerable to reveal her mutation and the location of where they were.

"I felt his passing last night," Jean replied with a heavy sigh. "Only Rogue knows right now, but looks like the others are about to find out." There was a small pause, as if neither one knew what to say to the other. Jean was the one to break the silence. "How are you holding up? You sound like you're holding back a hurricane."

"I've been forced to use my powers recently," Storm sighed, her mind going back to the Shadow King very briefly. "Has anyone been acting strange lately?"

"If by strange you mean the excess female hormones raging in the younger bodies," Jean chuckled. "Then no…why?"

"The Shadows have come back to haunt us," Storm replied softly.

"'Ro, you're not saying—"

"He's back Jean… and he's not giving me much of a chance to outrun him."

"Christ, Storm," Jean gasped. "Do we need to head toward you."

"No," Storm said hurriedly. "No… the last thing Farouk needs is more incentive… he has enough of that already."

"Why do I have a feeling there's more to this story than you're letting on?"

Storm took a breath, giving in to the urge to indulge her best friend. "You can't tell the others anything about this…"

"Have you and Logan conceived again And you haven't told me?"

"No," Storm shook her head. "At least I haven't. Logan did about 11 years ago."

"But… he was with us at the time…" Jean stammered, trying to wrap her brain around the situation. "Did Weapon X do something?"

"They cloned him," Storm responded. "Only difference is that instead of a boy… it's a girl…"

"You seem to be taking that pretty well," Jean said half-heartedly after another brief pause. "How did Logan take it?"

"As well as can be expected," Storm sighed. "And we're on the run so I have no idea when I'll be able to call you…"

"Are you sure you don't need our help?" Jean pressed. "I can easily locate you with our mini Cerebro."

"No, Jean," Storm said firmly. "I can't risk losing anymore of you."

There was a long silence on the phone before Jean spoke again. "How is Logan, 'Ro? You've barely spoken a word about him. Is he doing alright?"

Storm took another breath as her heart began to ache. She needed to keep precise control over her powers, but the thoughts of Logan's current condition threaten to override what little control she had left. "He's not doing well, Jean… I'm afraid he's dying… and he won't tell me anything."

"Is it the adamantium?"

"Yeah," Storm replied, sniffing a bit. "He thinks I don't know… but it's been there since we left the mansion."

"Where did you say you're headed again?"

"No, Jean," Storm repeated even more firmly. "I'm not going to have you put yourselves in danger on my account… especially if Farouk gets control of you or Kitty…"

"We can take care of ourselves, Storm," Jean said, her voice hardening a bit in irritation. After a moment she sighed. "But I'll respect your wishes for now."

"Thanks," she murmured, looking up as Logan and Laura walked out of the office. "I have to go, Jean…I'll contact you as soon as I can."

Once she hung up the phone, Storm took an extra minute to put a cap on the emotions she was feeling and regain composure. Once she was ready, she took out the battery and slipped it into her pocket as she headed toward the car. It wasn't until she almost reached the jeep that she heard Logan shouting at Laura... and Laura was responding in Spanish. Storm climbed in the passenger seat and looked between the two of them, Logan muttering colorfully about taking Laura to a fantasyland. "Where were you?" Logan asked, his hard gaze still on his clone.

"I needed some air," Storm lied. With the way he was looking at Laura, she knew bringing up that she was talking to Jean would have him preaching the riot act, and she was definitely not in the mood for that. "I haven't exactly felt comfortable in a doctor's office since the ambush at the church."

He gave her a hard look that she met evenly and then dropped the subject as he turned the car on, his mind still on Laura. "Did you know she could talk?"

"She hasn't said one word to me, Logan," Storm answered, leaning her head against the window as they drove down the dirt road.

"Whose idea was it to steal the car?"

"You're okay with stealing from a convenient store, but not okay with stealing a car?"

"Technically it wasn't stolen since you paid for it."

"And if I wasn't there?"

Logan remained silent for a moment, still trying to find a hold in the argument. "There's a difference between petty theft and grand auto theft."

Storm snorted. "Tell that to the authorities in Cairo."

Logan muttered something under his breath and Storm looked off into the distance, loosing herself in the haze. She wasn't sure how much time had passed when she felt the car jerk beneath her, shaking her from her light doze she had fallen into once again. She looked to see Laura reaching between the seats to guide Logan- who looked like he was about to pass out on the seat himself. "Hey," he said gruffly, slapping Laura's hand away.

"Logan," Storm murmured, reaching over to touch his wrist. He barely glanced at her as he tried to focus more on the road.

That was when Laura spoke. "Déjame conducir." Storm glanced at her as Logan grunted his question. She then translated in perfect English. "Let me drive."

"Absolutely not," Logan replied stubbornly, his hands tightening a bit on the wheel.

"Te estás muriendo," Laura said softly.

"No comprende," Logan gruffed.

"You are dying," Laura translated. Storm glanced at Laura briefly, thinking that perhaps her enhanced senses; however, she was proven wrong a moment later. "You want to die. Charles told me."

"What else did he tell ya?" Logan asked, a sigh escaping his chest as he stole a glance at Storm. The sorrow and guilt in his eyes were brief but very clear to the weather witch.

"To not let you."

Logan seemed to absorb the information for a moment, before he seemed to fall asleep. Both Storm and Laura reached to pull the car over and Laura went as far as to pull out the key. "Rest." It wasn't a request, it was an order. Coming from a little girl to the Wolverine, Storm could almost smile in amusement... almost.

"Just for an hour, Logan?" Storm pleaded, waving her hand to send a cooling breeze toward him.

"Fine," Logan sighed, laying down so that his head was leaning against Storm's shoulder. Storm smiled softly, gently stroking his overgrown beard. He was out like a light, and Storm continued to stroke his sideburns lovingly.

"Deberías descansar también," Laura said suddenly, causing Storm to look in her direction just before she could translate. "You should rest as well."

"I'll be fine," Storm said softly. "I'm not sick like him."

"You are tired," Laura insisted. "The bad man make you tired. He make you lose control of weather."

Storm sighed, knowing the child was right. "Don't drive off anywhere..." she said softly, joining Logan in slumber. She had no idea how much time had passed when the beginnings of a nightmare began to set in. She felt herself be shaken awake and saw Laura looking at her worriedly. "Sorry," she murmured, glancing down at her wrists that faintly held the scars from a lifetime ago. It was then she realized she didn't feel Logan near her, and saw him laying down on the backseat and Laura getting ready to drive. She glanced at Storm, the look of a challenge in her eye, as if she wanted the weather witch to say something to prevent her from driving. Shaking her head, Ororo sighed and leaned against the window. "Do you know how to drive?"

"Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive," Laura answered, pointing to each of the letters on the dashboard.

Storm nodded, resting her head against the window once more. "If we get into an accident, I had nothing to do with it, understood?"

"Si," Laura replied solemnly, continuing the drive on the road. The road was silent once more and Storm glanced back at her husband, praying to the Bright Lady that he would survive the trip. She closed her eyes once again, drifting off into a simple nothingness. She awoke to someone shaking her shoulder, and rubbed her bleary eyes before seeing Laura there. "¡Estamos aquí!" Laura cried in delight, grabbing her bag from the back before jumping out of the car.

Storm looked over at Logan, noticing he hadn't budged despite the child practically screaming. Not wanting to let Laura run off by herself, though, she caressed Logan's cheek, then stepped out of the car. A cloud formed over the car, providing Logan shade so that he did not overheat. Glancing up the cliffs that she found herself in the middle of, Storm noticed something with a resemblance to a tree house resting on one of the cliffsides. "¡Huérfanos!" Laura called, leading Storm up a trail that led to said tree house. The ground suddenly began to tremble beneath her a bit... which was confusing as she wasn't aware of any seismic activity in North Dakota. Laura, on the other hand, seemed to know what was happening, and began screaming; and that was when Storm realized one of the children in the tree house was causing the seismic activity. "¡Parada! ¡Parada! ¡Está conmigo!"

When the ground stopped shaking, Laura waved her forward and they followed the trail until they reached the house.

"Rictor!" Laura cried, hugging a tall boy who hugged her back just as tightly.

"¿Dónde está Gabriela?" Rictor asked as he pulled back and looked warily at Storm.

"La mataron," Laura began, smiling warmly at Storm as the other children glanced at her. "Esta amable señora y su familia me ayudaron a traerme aquí..." her voice trailed off for a moment, as if she was fighting back the emotions of the past week. She then straightened up, her voice becoming more firm as she continued speaking to Rictor. "Su nombre es Storm, y ella es una mutante como nosotros."

"You mentioned family," Rictor said in perfect English. "Where are they?"

"In the car," Storm replied, motioning down the cliff. "He's been extremely ill lately."

"How do we know we can trust them?" Rictor asked, straightening up a bit as if he were about to challenge Storm.

Laura growled lowly at him, her claws slowly sliding out of their housings as she glared at him. "She has my vouch, Rictor. ¿Crees que me habría puesto a todos en peligro si creyera que nos haría daño? ¿después de lo que he pasado?"

"Easy, Laura," Rictor answered, holding his hands up peacefully. "We've all been through the same program as you. I just wanted to make sure that we can trust her and she won't put us in danger. We've come too far to be apprehended now."

Laura glared at him for a moment longer, then nodded, turning back to walk back down the trail. Storm followed closely behind her, stopping when she saw a familiar figure walking toward them. "¡Ven aquí!"she called out, whistling to get his attention. "¡Ven, ven aquí!"

Logan seemed to pause for a moment, before collapsing to the ground. Storm used her winds to guide to her husband's still form. "Logan," she whispered, kneeling beside him. His skin was hot to the touch, and she had no doubt that he was very dehydrated, so she created a small raincloud that would hopefully cool him off. She felt a small hand placed on her shoulder.

"Let us handle it," Laura said softly. "You're still weary from the bad men."

Storm was about to shake her head when she saw one of the children jump down from the cliff and land softly, not injuring himself in the slightest. She recognized the child as the one who had a breakdown in training... the telekinetic. "I have him," the boy said softly, simply looking down at Logan and able to lift the Wolverine with only the slightest bit of strain. A few feet away a stretcher had been brought down, ready to receive Logan. Laura smiled at her friends then turned to face Storm, offering her a hand to help her up. "Thank you," she murmured, walking back up the trail to the tree house.

Once back at the top, Storm observed how the children were working together to lift up Logan what she estimated to be almost five stories high; not an easy feat, she knew all too well. The first time she had tried to lift up Logan with her winds was back on Liberty Island. She was not prepared for his added weight, and had almost dropped him the first couple of seconds, quickly compensating by nearly creating an F1 tornado just to keep him in the air. "Swing him toward me," she heard the elder boy say. It was then she noticed that Logan was once again awake, and very tense. She stepped forward when the kids surrounded him, all seemingly curious, and a couple wary at the new visitor. However, seeing as Laura had been willing to defend Storm, she guessed that no one wanted to challenge the young girl about his intentions. She sighed as Logan once again passed out, and walked with them inside their little abode.


End file.
